James writes:

> > The "rule of law" means two things;
>
>  No, it means one thing.  Trust in ones fellow citizens to do the right
>  thing for all.
>
>  The Rule of Law does not prevent criminal acts or private 'justice', it
>  only marginalizes them.  The Rule of Law does not guarantee
>  perfection in form or execution, it is impossible to for any system
>  involving mortals to be perfect.  The power of great wealth distorts
>  all that it is applied against, including justice.  The object of the
>  rule of law is not to be perfect, only to mitigate against the
>  excesses of a few that can destroy a state built for the many.

While I only highlighted a very small portion of James' reply, I just wanted
to say how much I appreciated James' excellent response. It is everything I
would hope that I would have written.

Wirt Atmar

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